DRIVING THE DAY

GOV’T FUNDING UPDATE … REPUBLICANS and DEMOCRATS went back and forth yesterday about how to avoid a shutdown come Friday. HOUSE REPUBLICANS said they were fine with a bill that extends funding until Dec. 18 or Dec. 21. SENATE REPUBLICAN leadership was kicking this around. But late yesterday, we got signals from HOUSE DEMOCRATS that they would only agree to a weeklong extension.

THE MAIN GOAL is to get this fight out of the GEORGE H.W. BUSH remembrance week. Dec. 21 makes sense for a lot of reasons -- it’s right before Christmas. But the House might try to pass the short-term spending bill by unanimous consent, so everyone needs to agree.

THE STATE FUNERAL … SPECIAL AIR MISSION 41 is the callsign for Air Force One, which will fly today from Houston Ellington to Joint Base Andrews with the 41st president’s casket.

BEFORE THE FLIGHT LANDS, “Family guests, including representatives of the crew of the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), current and former members of the Army Golden Knights, Air Force One pilots and crew from the 41 Administration, and U.S. Secret Service members who served on President Bush’s protective detail, will be escorted into position to view the ceremony,” per the joint task force running the funeral.

THERE WILL BE a 21-gun salute, and “My Country Tis of Thee” will be played by the Air Force band as the casket is carried to the hearse. The casket goes directly to the Capitol, and is scheduled to arrive at around 4:45 p.m.

-- THE SPECIAL HONOR GUARD at Andrews will be made up of: Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. Paul Selva, the vice chairman of the joint chiefs; Gen. Mark Milley, the Army chief of staff, Gen. Robert Neller, the commandant of the Marine Corps; Gen. David Goldfein, the chief of staff of the Air Force; Gen. Joseph Lengyel, the chief of the National Guard Bureau; and Adm. Paul Zukunft, the commandant of the Coast Guard.

FIRST PERSON ... NYT’S MAUREEN DOWD, “The Patrician President and the Reporterette: a Screwball Story: My faithful correspondent, Poppy Bush, scribbling and typing notes through decades of history”: “Nobody understood our relationship — least of all us. It was, admittedly, odd. ‘I like you,’ the first President Bush wrote me once, after he was out of office. ‘Please don’t tell anyone.’ In decades of correspondence, he tried to figure out why we stayed in touch, beginning one note ‘Darn you Maureen Dowd’ and mischievously observing in another, ‘Sometimes I found it better around my family to go “Maureen who?”’

“At times, typing on what he called ‘my little IBM,’ he signed off ‘Con afecto, GB,’ or if I was writing critically about his sons, ‘Con Afecto, still, just barely though! gb.’ Or ‘Love’ scratched out and replaced with the handwritten rebuke, ‘not quite there yet.’” NYT

WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD … JONATHAN MARTIN on NYT’S A1: “Despite Big House Losses, G.O.P. Shows No Signs of Course Correction”: “With a brutal finality, the extent of the Republicans’ collapse in the House came into focus last week as more races slipped away from them and their losses neared 40 seats.

“Yet nearly a month after the election, there has been little self-examination among Republicans about why a midterm that had seemed at least competitive became a rout. President Trump has brushed aside questions about the loss of the chamber entirely, ridiculing losing incumbents by name, while continuing to demand Congress fund a border wall despite his party losing many of their most diverse districts. Unlike their Democratic counterparts,

“Republicans swiftly elevated their existing slate of leaders with little debate, signaling a continuation of their existing political strategy. And neither Speaker Paul D. Ryan nor Representative Kevin McCarthy, the incoming minority leader, have stepped forward to confront why the party’s once-loyal base of suburban supporters abandoned it — and what can be done to win them back.” NYT

Good Monday morning. BIG NEWS ON THE TRADE FRONT -- PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP tweeted at 11 p.m.: “China has agreed to reduce and remove tariffs on cars coming into China from the U.S. Currently the tariff is 40%.”

-- QUINT FORGEY and DOUG PALMER: “There was no immediate confirmation for Trump’s claim, and the timetable for China’s rollback on the automobile duties remains unclear.” POLITICO

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ABOUT THE G-20 … ANDREW RESTUCCIA: “The art of the G-20, by Donald Trump”: “As he crisscrossed Buenos Aires, posing for photos with dignitaries and boasting about his accomplishments, Trump left behind a trail of exaggerations meant to paper over the fractious first half of his term and rebrand himself as a globe-trotting statesman. It’s the Art of the G-20, by Donald Trump. The 45th president is writing his own rulebook on how to claim credit and respect on an international stage where many leaders have looked down on him for years.

“But just as his famous 1987 book counseled, Trump’s global deal-making was as much about style as substance, with grandiose talk the most important ingredient of all. The president arrived back in Washington on Sunday feeling triumphant, believing his latest international trip to be a resounding success. During his overnight flight on Air Force One, Trump seemed vindicated after dealing with a long buildup of pressure to the summit in Argentina.” POLITICO

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COMING ATTRACTIONS -- “Trump Administration to Try Again to Fulfill Infrastructure Pledge,” by WSJ’s Ted Mann: “The Trump administration is preparing to make another attempt at honoring one of the biggest unfulfilled promises of the president’s election campaign: a $1 trillion upgrade of the nation’s road, rail and energy infrastructure.

“That program failed to materialize during President Trump’s first year in office, as the administration pursued a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which failed, and a major tax cut, which he signed into law in December 2017.

“In 2018, a package that would have compelled cities and states to come up with at least 80% of the funding for infrastructure improvements was dead on arrival in Congress. Even Mr. Trump’s fellow Republicans voted instead to increase spending in existing grant programs that send federal money to local governments for infrastructure as part of a budget deal, which the president signed. This time around, people familiar with the White House’s plans say, the administration’s effort is likely to include a lot more federal cash—which makes it more likely to pass muster with the new Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives.” WSJ

-- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: NOAM LEE will be the executive director for the DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION. Lee most recently served as the DGA’s national finance director after two years as its major gifts director.

TRUMP’S MONDAY -- The president will meet with HUD Secretary Ben Carson at 1:45 p.m. in the Oval Office.

PLAYBOOK READS

PHOTO DU JOUR: Honduran migrants climb over a section of the U.S. border fence before handing themselves in to Border Patrol agents on Sunday in Playas of Tijuana, Mexico. | Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo

DAVID SIDERS: “‘Nothing’s invisible now’: How the 2020 contenders are trampling the old rules”: “For decades, the most critical early stages of a presidential campaign unfolded largely out of public view, with candidates quietly courting financiers, party bosses and interest groups influential in the nominating process.

“But two years after President Donald Trump proved a candidate could flout traditional power structures and succeed — and with the 2020 campaign now picking up — the reign of the ‘invisible primary’ is in decline.

“New Democratic Party rules have stripped party leaders of much of their power in selecting a nominee. The prevalence of small-dollar fundraising has tilted the presidential landscape toward more public maneuvers designed to build massive lists of supporters online. And the rise of progressive populism is making its mark, prioritizing high-profile appeals and personal brand-building — typically through digital platforms — over the behind-the-scenes pursuit of party elites.” POLITICO

“In more than 400 WhatsApp messages sent to a fellow Saudi exile in the year before he was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Khashoggi describes bin Salman -- often referred to as MBS -- as a ‘beast,’ a ‘pac-man’ who would devour all in his path, even his supporters. CNN has been granted exclusive access to the correspondence between Khashoggi and Montreal-based activist Omar Abdulaziz.

“The messages shared by Abdulaziz, which include voice recordings, photos and videos, paint a picture of a man deeply troubled by what he regarded as the petulance of his kingdom’s powerful young prince. ‘The more victims he eats, the more he wants,’ says Khashoggi in one message sent in May, just after a group of Saudi activists had been rounded up. ‘I will not be surprised if the oppression will reach even those who are cheering him on.’” CNN

FOR YOUR RADAR -- “Families of Americans held in Iran ask Trump to pull visas for kids of top Iran officials,” by NBC’s Dan De Luce: “Families of Americans detained in Iran have urged the Trump administration to deny U.S. visas to the children of top-ranking officials in the Iranian government, but the White House has yet to take action, two sources close to the families told NBC News.

“The families of the imprisoned Americans see the administration’s response to their request as part of a broader failure to place a top priority on securing the release of their loved ones, despite a campaign promise from the president to resolve the issue, two family friends and two congressional aides told NBC News. At least four American citizens and one U.S. legal resident are currently imprisoned in Iran after secretive trials on charges of alleged espionage.” NBC

MEDIAWATCH -- “Paywall for HuffPost? Verizon Hunt for Web Revenue Goes Beyond Ads,” by WSJ’s Sarah Krouse: “Verizon Communications Inc.’s Oath unit is turning away from the advertising- and data-centric strategy that spurred its creation.After failing to meet revenue targets by selling digital ads across Yahoo and AOL properties, Oath executives now are focused on selling content subscriptions and giving users ways to make purchases through its sites, according to people familiar with the matter.The unit is exploring subscriptions to HuffPost news and Yahoo Sports content, among other ideas.” WSJ

-- “Nexstar clinches $4.1 billion deal to acquire Tribune Media – sources,” by Reuters’ Carl O’Donnell and Liana Baker: “Nexstar Media Group Inc has reached an agreement to acquire Tribune Media Co for about $4.1 billion, a deal which would make it the largest local U.S. TV station operator, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday. Nexstar’s acquisition would come just three months after Tribune’s $3.9 billion deal to sell itself to Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., currently the largest U.S. local TV station operator, collapsed over regulatory hurdles.” Reuters

PLAYBOOKERS

SPOTTED: Michèle Flournoy on UA783 from LAX to Dulles. Josh Rogin was also on the flight. ... Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on a Delta flight to DCA from Atlanta. “Traveling light with a plum colored backpack,” per our tipster ...

... Double Hoya Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) brunching at The Tombs in Georgetown ... Joe and Jill Biden and Eric Holder (pic) at Logan Airport in Boston on Sunday night. The Bidens were flying American Airlines to Philadelphia; Joe Biden stopped for selfies and was holding court with travelers. Holder was flying American Airlines to DCA, in first class, per our tipster.

WEEKEND WEDDING -- Elizabeth Schoetz, chief of staff at NARAL Pro-Choice America, on Saturday married Greg Mays of the State Department. Pool report: “The evening began with the wedding ceremony at the historic St John’s Episcopal Church at Lafayette Square. After the ceremony, guests were led to the black tie reception at the St. Regis by a bagpiper in the bride’s family tartan. The halls at the St. Regis were decked for Christmas and the cocktail hour in the patio tent was a winter wonderland. Highlight of the night: Ilyse Hogue, Katherine Clark and the bride on the dance floor leading the crowd in singing ‘Don’t Stop Believin’!” Pic

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Robby Mook, senior fellow at the Kennedy School and CNN contributor. What he’s been reading recently: “I recently finished ‘Valiant Ambition’ by Nathaniel Philbrick about Benedict Arnold and the Revolutionary War, which was a good reminder that sometimes it takes a self-obsessed traitor acting up to get the good guys off their duffs. If past is prologue...” Playbook Plus Q&A

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About The Author : Jake Sherman

Jake Sherman is a senior writer for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO’s Playbook, the nation's leading political newsletter. He is also the co-author of New York Times and national best seller, "The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and the Future of Trump's America," which was published by Crown in 2019. Jake is an NBC and MSNBC political contributor.

Since 2009, Jake has chronicled all of the major legislative battles on Capitol Hill, and has also traveled the country to cover the battle for control of Congress.

Jake is a Connecticut native, and a graduate of The George Washington University — where he edited The GW Hatchet — and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Jake lives in Washington with his wife Irene and his son, and listens to an unhealthy amount of Grateful Dead and Phish.

About The Author : Anna Palmer

Anna Palmer is a senior Washington correspondent for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO’s Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics. Anna covers the world of Congress and politics, and has successfully chronicled the business of Washington insiders for years. Her stories take readers behind the scenes for the biggest fights in Washington as well as the 2016 election.

She is also the co-author of New York Times and national best seller, "The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and the Future of Trump's America," which was published by Crown in 2019.

In addition to Playbook, Anna is also editorial director of Women Rule, a POLITICO platform that is dedicated to expanding leadership opportunities for women at all stages of their career.

Prior to becoming POLITICO’s senior Washington correspondent, she was the co-author of the daily newsletter, POLITICO Influence, considered a must-read on K Street. Anna previously covered House leadership and lobbying as a staff writer for Roll Call. She got her start in Washington journalism as a lobbying business reporter for the industry newsletter Influence. She has also worked at Legal Times, where she covered the intersection of money and politics for the legal and lobbying industry, first as a staff writer and then as an editor.

A native of North Dakota, Anna is a graduate of St. Olaf College, where she was executive editor of the weekly campus newspaper, the Manitou Messenger. She lives in Washington, D.C.

About The Author : Daniel Lippman

Daniel Lippman is a reporter for POLITICO and a co-author of POLITICO's Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics.

Before joining POLITICO, he was a fellow covering environmental news for E&E Publishing and a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in New York. He has also interned for McClatchy Newspapers and Reuters. During a stint freelancing in 2013, he traveled to the Turkish-Syrian border to cover the impact of the Syrian civil war for The Huffington Post and CNN.com.

He graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 2008 and from The George Washington University in 2012. Daniel hails from the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and enjoys playing tennis, seeing movies and trying out new restaurants in his free time.